EMMI Student Named Orchestra Co-Concertmaster

10/15/2014

For two years, Crossroads student Angela Jiye Bae ’16 served as a substitute violinist for the American Youth Symphony (AYS), filling in when other musicians weren’t available to perform. One extraordinary audition later, she was named in September as the orchestra’s new co-concertmaster and a permanent first violinist.

As co-concertmaster—one of the youngest in AYS history—Angela’s responsibilities include creating musical phrasing and communicating her fellow musicians’ ideas to the conductor. The orchestra is conducted by AYS musical director Alexander Treger, who also conducts Angela and her classmates in Crossroads’ Elizabeth Mandell Music Institute (EMMI) program.

Angela says that her experience in EMMI helped prepare her to take on this new challenge.

“Since I’m one of the oldest students in the program, I often take responsibility with scheduling, rehearsing and helping others,” Angela says. “EMMI taught me what it takes to be a leader in a group. This really helped me not be too nervous for my first rehearsal as one of the leaders in a big orchestra.”

Angela will hold the position of co-concertmaster for as long as she’s in Los Angeles and within the program’s age limits. The mission of AYS is to “inspire the future of a timeless art form by sharing exceptional, innovative concerts based on its landmark training of musicians ages 15-27.” In this video, Angela talks about her new role in the AYS.